Climbing the heights to provide education in the Himalayas

In early February, 2020, the Good Return team based in Nepal embarked on a 15-day field visit to the Solukhumbu district, near Mount Everest. The purpose of this trip wasn’t to scale Mount Everest - but our task was just as challenging! Instead, we successfully delivered orientation meetings and training sessions to implement our Consumer Awareness and Financial Empowerment (CAFE) initiative in the area. 

The CAFE learner groups are remotely located. Sometimes, it can take more than 2 hours to reach the training venue. Of course, to navigate the harsh terrain, this can only be achieved by foot! Luckily for the trainers, these venues lie on the lower side of the district, just a little far from the snowcapped areas. 

So, who are our CAFE learners? Roughly 84% of our training participants in Nepal are female, and aged between 20 to 60, and over. Participation in these programs, particularly by people in remote areas and across all ages demonstrates just how important financial capability is.

The training is being delivered by two local NGO partners, the Solukhumbu Development Society, and Hill Development and Conservation Group Nepal. During our field visits, the team conducted orientation meetings with local government authorities (in both municipalities) and shared information about our CAFE Initiative. They were excited about the innovative approach used in CAFE, and gave us some feedback to make the training more efficient and successful. 

On top of this, we conducted orientation for local NGOs board members and staff on CAFE, child protection & inclusion of people with disabilities, as part of the training program. We also provided some extra face-to-face coaching for our CAFE trainers, who are now well-prepared to deliver the CAFE program!

Watch this space for more exciting updates from Nepal. But for now, take a look at the stunning scenery that these CAFE learners get to enjoy during every lesson!